english level 2: section d1

Draft for Pilot Functional English Level 2 • Section D1 © Pearson Education 2008

EDEXCEL FUNCTIONAL SKILLS PILOT

English Level 2

Section D

Understanding and writing texts

D1 Presenting texts clearly

1 Presenting complex subjects clearly 2

2 Writing complex sentences 7

3 Using a range of connectives 9

4 Using inverted commas 11

Picture Credits

The publisher would like to thank the following for their kind permission to reproduce their photographs:

Tony Lilley 10; Jupiter Unlimited: 8, 12

All other images © Pearson Education

Picture Research by: Kevin Brown, Lisa Wren, Rachel Naish

Every effort has been made to trace the copyright holders and we apologise in advance for any unintentional omissions. We would be pleased to insert the appropriate acknowledgement in any subsequent edition of this publication.

We are grateful to Tesco Magazine for an extract from “Be a party princess” by Rebecca Speechley published in Tesco Magazine Nov-December 2007 copyright © Tesco Magazine, reproduced with permission.

Pilot material only – see introduction before use

Working with shape and space 5

Skills Standard Coverage and Range Learner Unit

3 Writing

Write a range of texts, including extended written documents, communicating information, ideas and opinions, effectively and persuasively In a range of text types

3.2 Present information on complex subjects clearly and concisely

3.3 Use a range of writing styles for different purposes

3.6 Ensure written work is fit for purpose and audience, with accurate spelling and grammar that support clear meaning

1 Presenting complex subjects clearly

3.4 Use a range of sentence structures, including complex sentences, and paragraphs to organise written communication effectively

2 Writing complex sentences3 Using a range of connectives

3.5 Punctuate written text using commas, apostrophes and inverted commas accurately

4 Using inverted commas

Where to find the final specification, assessment and resource materialVisit our website www.edexcel.com/fs then:• for the specification and assessments: under Subjects, click on English (Levels 1–2)• for information about resources: under Support, click on Published resources.

Use these free pilot resources to help build your learners’ skill baseWe are delighted to continue to make available our free pilot learner resources and teacher notes, to help teach the skills learners need to pass Edexcel FS English, Level 2. But use the accredited exam material and other resources to prepare them for the real assessmentWe developed these materials for the pilot assessment and standards and have now matched them to the final specification in the table below. They’ll be a useful interim measure to get you started but the assessment guidance should no longer be used and you should make sure you use the accredited assessments to prepare your learners for the actual assessment. New resources available for further supportWe’re also making available new learner and teacher resources that are completely matched to the final specification and assessment – and also providing access to banks of the actual live papers as these become available. We recommend that you switch to using these as they become available.Coverage of accredited specification and standardsThe table below shows the match of the accredited specification to the unit of pilot resources. This table supersedes the pilot table within the teacher notes.

EDEXCEL FUNCTIONAL SKILLS: INTErIm SUppOrT mATErIAL

English Level 2Geoff Barton, Clare Constant, Kim Richardson, Keith Washington

Section D: Understanding and writing textsD1: Presenting texts clearly

Draft for Pilot FunctionalEnglishLevel2 • SectionD1 © Pearson Education 2008

Published by Pearson Education, Edinburgh Gate, Harlow CM20 2JE. First published 2008. © Pearson Education 2008. Typeset by Oxford Designers and Illustrators, Oxford

This material was developed for use with Edexcel pilot and development centres and is available for continued use with development centres. To become a development centre you need to offer Edexcel Functional Skills. The material may be used only within the Edexcel development centre that has retrieved it. It may be desk printed and/or photocopied for use by learners within that institution. All rights are otherwise reserved and no part of this publication may be reproduced,

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Draft for Pilot Functional English Level 2 • Section D1 • page 2 © Pearson Education 2008

Learn the skill

The key to making sure that you are able to explain a complex subject clearly is to spend time carefully planning before you start writing.

You need to have a clear understanding of:

who you are writing for ■

what your purpose is ■

what information you need to include ■

in what order you should give readers the information ■

how to present the information so that it will be clear (e.g. using ■headings and subheadings for different sections, using topic sentences to begin paragraphs)

how to avoid repeating yourself, and to be concise (e.g. grouping ■similar information together, summarising points).

Learn from other writers The writer of the article on page 3 organised the information in the article very carefully to make the explanations clear and concise. Find out how this was done as you answer the questions below.

1 Read the introduction. What hints does the writer give about who the article was written for?

2 What clues are there in the introduction to help you work out the writer’s main intention?

D1 Presenting texts clearlyBy the end of this section you should be able to:

present information on complex subjects concisely and clearly

choose sentence types so that you communicate in a clear way with your reader, including writing complex sentences

use connectives to lead your reader through your writing so it is easy to understand

use inverted commas so it is clear to your reader when you are using speech in your writing or quoting from another source.

1 Presenting complex subjects clearly


© Pearson Education 2008 Functional English Level 2 • Section D1 • page 3 Draft for Pilot

TEXT A

Presenting texts clearly D 1 D1

Presenting texts clearly D 1

hristmas parties are supposed to be fun but invariably they throw up tricky social situations that we’d rather avoid – such as being stuck with that geeky guy from accounts, spotting the boss’s intimidating partner heading your way, or suddenly feeling incredibly shy. If the words ‘Christmas’ and ‘party’ usually bring you out in a cold sweat, then fear not. We’ve asked the experts for their top tips to turn you from party pariah to Christmas party princess in no time.

Make an entranceYou don’t have to announce that you’ve arrived, but if you want to enjoy a party don’t hide by the wall. “When you’re entering, don’t walk to one side – head straight through the middle – it signifi es confi dence,” says Leil Lowndes, author of Always in the Kitchen at Parties (Harper Element, £8.99). “Walk to the dead centre of the room and stay there, that’s where all the important people stand instinctively – you won’t catch them hovering by the buffet or leaning against the wall.”

Be everyone’s friendDon’t be a party snob and only speak to people that you know – talk to as many people as you can. “If you don’t make eye contact and smile at people, they often misread your shyness and interpret it as snobbery,” says Leil. “Instead of feeling nervous about meeting someone new, turn the lens around and think about the other person. Tell yourself, “I must look at the other people and smile”. If you don’t, they might think you’re ignoring and rejecting them.”

Win them overOnce you’ve given someone your winning smile, make them feel comfortable in your company by getting on the same wavelength physically, so they think, “Hey, this person is like me”. “Notice their energy levels and rate of speech; slow down or speed up to match them,” says fl irt coach Peta Heskell

them enthusiastically.” Ask questions – if you seem interested it will give them the confi dence to come out of their shell. But if you really can’t listen to any more chat about income tax, politely excuse yourself.

No regrets“Do not drink for confi dence,” say both Leil and Peta. A few drinks might make you feel more self-assured, but you will always want more, and then you’re on the slippery slope to drunkenness. If you don’t want to look like a party pooper, sip drinks slowly and alternate each alcoholic drink with a large glass of water – you’ll have less of a hangover in the morning and you won’t have any alcohol-induced regrets.

(www.attractionacademy.com). Vary your tone of voice and, if you feel clear-headed enough to be subtle about it, carefully mirror their body language – if they lean in towards you, do the same.

The art of small talkOne of the things most people struggle with is how to chat to absolute strangers. But small talk doesn’t have to be diffi cult. “Great small talk comes from being observant about everyday things like new movies coming out, upcoming holidays, how packed the bar is or the latest newspaper headlines,” says Peta. You don’t have to worry about having in-depth conversations. And if you fi nd it hard to look at someone directly in the eye, look at the bridge of their nose instead, they won’t notice a thing.

Questions are keyOnce you’ve fi nished discussing the weather and other everyday topics, don’t panic. Most people love talking about themselves, so ask plenty of questions. “Instead of simply nodding or saying ‘uh huh’ to the person you’re talking to, ask them a few encouraging questions such as, ‘So what happened then?’, ‘Where else did you visit?’ or ‘How on earth did you do that?’” says Leil. “He or she will be thrilled that you want to know more and you won’t need to worry about coming up with clever conversation.”

Don’t get nervousMeeting your boss, or their partner, or even your partner’s boss in a social situation can be scary. You’re desperate to impress, but at the same time terrifi ed of doing something embarrassing. “But remember that they are just people,” says Peta. “To help stay calm, breathe before you speak and count to fi ve. Try to leave spaces in between your words so that you don’t just blurt stuff out and your conversation sounds natural.” Don’t even try to impress them, let them impress you instead and encourage them to talk by asking questions – it’s a whole lot safer than rambling on about yourself. Remember that the tedious guy from accounts might just be crushingly shy and waffl es on about spreadsheets because he feels he’s got nothing else to offer you. “The more small talk you make with someone, the more likely it is to evolve into an interesting conversation,” says Leil.“Even if someone is telling you something really boring, smile and try to respond to

Smile, smile, smileTo be a true party princess,

everyone there should want to

talk to you – so use your body

language to show them that you’re

willing to be their friend.

� “If you slump, look glum and

fold your arms, you’re not exactly

looking welcoming,” says Leil. “Try

to stand up tall and straight, make

eye contact and let your arms

relax. Keep your hands away from

your face and try not to fi dget.”

� Ask a good friend to keep an

eye on your body language – if

they notice that you’re starting to

slump and look unapproachable,

tell them to give you a nudge.

� “A smile is a great confi dence

booster,” says Leil. “Practice yours

in a mirror and remember what

your best smile feels like so you

know you’re showing that and not

a tight-lipped grimace. Try out your

smile on everyone and make eye

contact, too.” It’s also the best way

to show that great-looking guy

that you’re interested.

� “When we don’t feel confi dent

we make it worse by thinking

about it and how useless we are,”

says Peta. When such thoughts

pop into your head, try to think

positively instead. Throw your

shoulders back and lift your head

high – your mind will eventually

catch up with your actions.

Most people love talking about

themselves, so ask plenty of questions



3 Go through the main text section by section.

a) Work out what the writer’s plan must have looked like by completing a planning chart like the one below.

b) Was this a sensible order of giving readers the information? Why?

Section in the text

What information is included?

What features did the writer use to make the information clear for readers?

Introduction What the article is about, i.e. its subject, purpose and audience.

First paragraph starts with ‘Christmas parties’ and describes a reader’s typical worries.

Second paragraph promises the rest of the article will offer help from experts to deal with these worries.

First section How to cope with arriving at the party.

Heading:

Topic sentence:

Quoting advice from expert:

Second section

4 Now read the conclusion.

a) What information/advice did the writer give to fi nish off the article?

b) How does having the ‘No regrets’ heading help signal this is the end?

c) Why is this an effective way to round off the article?

5 The writer is giving a lot of instructions and advice to readers.

a) Look carefully at the section headed ‘Win them over’. How many of the sentences contain commands, using verbs such as make, do, etc.?

b) Now read the section ‘The art of small talk’, which is written differently. How does the writer tell readers what to do?

c) Re-read the section headed ‘No regrets’. How did the writer avoid repeating information about each expert’s thoughts about drinking alcohol at parties?

6 Look at the box with the heading ‘Smile, smile, smile’, which contains additional important information. How is this information presented concisely and clearly?





Try the skill

Plan your writingYou are going to write a 500-word magazine article offering young adult readers advice on how to cope with going to a party or event where they will be meeting new people in an unfamiliar situation, e.g. a Hindu family wedding, Christmas Day celebrations, a religious festival, a sporting event, a company event, etc.

1 Work in groups. You are the experts gathering advice to go in the article.

a) Spend three minutes brainstorming a list of things your readers might worry about before going to the event, e.g. what to wear.

b) Now spend ten minutes coming up with:

helpful solutions to these worries and any other advice you think ■would help a list of ways to research and people you can interview to fi nd ■any additional information you need, e.g. search on the web, phone your local imam.

c) Spend fi ve minutes planning in what order advice, solutions and additional information will appear in the article. Work out different headings for grouping the information to form sections in the article, e.g. what to wear (or what not to wear!).

2 Plan your article using a chart like the one below. You can include your group’s tips as well as any advice from the article on page 3 that you think might help. Make sure the situations you give are really relevant to your readers.

What kind of text is it? Magazine article in columns with headings & subheadings

Who is my audience? What is my purpose?

Section in the text

What information should I include there?

What can I do to make the information clear for readers?

Introduction What the article is about, i.e. its subject, purpose and audience.

First paragraph: Starts with ‘ So you’ve received an invitation to …’ and I’ll describe readers’ typical worries.

Second paragraph will promise rest of article will offer help for these from experts

First section How readers should prepare to …

Heading: Before the big day

Topic sentence:

Quotations from an expert:

Second section


Draft your writing3 Once you have done all your research, you are ready to write a fi rst draft

of your article.

4 When you have fi nished writing your fi rst draft, work in pairs and read each other’s articles.

Tick sentences where information is clearly expressed. ■

Underline any parts that are unclear. ■

Put a question mark where you think a reader would like more ■information.

Put a star where the same information seems to be repeated. ■

5 Now you are ready to think about how a fi rst draft can be improved. Work in groups. Here is part of Shahim’s fi rst draft. How can he improve it?

6 Now check your fi rst draft, marking any places where you need to make similar changes to the ones you made to Shahim’s draft.

Improve your writing7 Make all the changes you need as you write the fi nal version of your article.

Don’t forget to proofread it carefully to spot and correct any spelling, punctuation and grammar errors.

So whether you decide to attend a dirt race track, or an enduro

race or a rally be prepared for lots of standing around waiting.

Make sure you’ve got plenty of drinks and food to nibble with

you as it can get very expensive if you haven’t. If you keep going

to the van for burger and chips every time you get the munchies

you’ll spend a lot of money and you’ll have eaten a load

of grease! It’s best to take a cool bag and some fruit and

sandwiches and drinks – then you can just have the odd snack

as a treat. You’ll need to make sure your ready for rain, wind and

snow if you go in the winter, and if you go in the summer you

can get really burnt if you don’t take a hat, suncream and wear a

T shirt all the time. Burned, bright red faces are never cool!





2 Writing complex sentences


Learn the skill

Using complex sentences can help you write more concisely and effectively as they allow you to:

pack in more information ■

show readers how your points link to each other. ■

A complex sentence works like this:

The internet is really useful when you need to research something.

You can put a subordinate clause at the beginning, middle or end of a sentence:

When you want to search for something, the internet is really useful.

The internet, which is ideal for research and shopping, can save you lots of time.

Remember, you may need to use commas to separate out the chunks of information to make your meaning clear:

When you need to research something, the internet is really useful.

Try the skill

1 a) Which of the clauses below are main clauses and which are subordinate clauses?

A not all information on the internet is reliable

B you need to check the site that the information is on

C because anyone can post anything onto the web

D since information can be very biased

E as you don’t always know how reliable it is

F you need to read information carefully and thoughtfully before believing it

b) Now write three concise complex sentences giving advice about researching on the internet. Craft your sentences by adding one of the subordinate clauses above to each main clause.

AAAAAnothhher chhhunkkk offf iinffformatiion dddoes nnot make sense on its own because itt dddepends on the main clause to makessssseeennssseee – ttthheee sssuuubbbooorrdddiinnaaattteee ccclllaaauuussseee..

OOOOOne chhhunkkk offf iiinffformatiiion mmakes sense on its own and ccould be written as a separate ssssseeenntteennccee – tthhee mmaaiinn ccllaauussee..


2 Use the sentence starters below to help you write a paragraph explaining how your family and friends use the internet. Use complex sentences to make your explanation clear.

a) We use the internet to … because …

b) Searching for … is a great …

c) If … wants to fi nd out about … then …

d) Although people worry about … everyone I know …

3 What possible benefi ts and dangers are you aware of in using the internet? Write fi ve sentences comparing the benefi ts and dangers concisely and including complex sentences. Use the example below to help you craft your sentences and include words from the box.

Buying things online, which can be cheaper, can be less secure because you don’t know how your bank details may be used.

4 Work in pairs. Read the notes below about how employers are responding to internet use at work.

which while when because since


• New research – thousands of employees sacked or disciplined for internet or e-mail misuse.

• Employers are taking an increasingly hard-line approach against staff who abuse the internet or waste time on social networking sites during offi ce hours.

• Common offences: excessive internet use, viewing inappropriate material online, forwarding offensive e-mails.

a) Do you think employees should be stopped from using the internet for anything else but work?

b) Use the connectives below to write fi ve sentences that will help you argue your view concisely and clearly. Make sure you include some complex sentences.

although however because whereas alternatively




3 Using a range of connectives

Learn the skill

There are lots of connectives to help you show how the information and ideas link together in your writing. The important thing is to make sure you use the right one for the job and use a variety of connectives.

You can link to what is already in your sentence by:

Connectives

Adding also, too, in addition, similarly, as, like

Opposing but, however, nevertheless, although, on the other hand, whereas, in contrast, alternatively

Reinforcing Besides, anyway, after all

Explaining for example, for instance, in other words, which, while

Listing points fi rst/fi rstly … second/secondly … fi nally/lastly, fi rst of all, to begin with, next, after that, in summary, to conclude

Showing the next point is the result of something earlier

because, since, as, therefore, consequently, as a result, so, then, if, unless, in case, whether … or …

Showing time when, before, after, afterwards, then, since, while, meanwhile, until, later, as, once, whenever

Try the skill

1 a) Study the table above and put the connectives there into three groups:

A connectives you already know and use oftenB connectives you recognise but don’t use muchC connectives that are new to you and that you are unsure how to

use.

b) Set yourself the target of learning to use the connectives you listed for B and C as you work through pages 9 and 10.

c) As a class, discuss what each of the connectives means and share examples of the ones you think you would fi nd most useful when writing:A a formal letter of complaint

B an explanation

C instructions



2 The connectives in the three paragraphs below are missing.

a) Decide what kind of text the paragraphs below are from and what job each missing connective needs to do.

b) Then make a note of the connective you think will work best in each space.

3 Write a brief explanation of how you celebrate New Year or another special occasion in your culture. Explain why it is important to you and what your different traditions mean so that people from a different culture will understand what you mean. Try to include your ten target connectives.


Western Christians celebrate Easter Sunday on a

diff erent date each year 1 it has to be on the fi rst

Sunday after the full moon has appeared after Passover. Th is

means the number of weeks between January 1st and Easter

can vary a lot 2 Easter terms in schools can be really

short 3 really long.

Both the beginning and end of Ramadam are marked

by the clear sighting of the new moon 4 if the

sky is very cloudy the feast may last longer 5 it can

also be made shorter.

Chinese months are worked out using the lunar

(moon’s) calendar and each month begins on the darkest

day. New Year festivities traditionally start on the fi rst day of

the month and continue until the fi fteenth, 6 is

when the moon is brightest. In China, people may take weeks

of holiday from work 7 they can prepare for and

celebrate the New Year.

TEXT A

TEXT B

TEXT C




4 Using inverted commas

Learn the skill

Inverted commas are used to begin and end a group of words in your writing that are quoted from another text or that show someone is speaking or thinking.

Using inverted commas for quotations


The Fitness report said: ‘young people should exercise for at least one hour every day to keep fi t’.

BBBBefffore you bbbegiiin your quotatiiionnn pppppppppuuutt aa ccoolloonn oorr aa ccoommmmaa..

CCCCCopy thhhe worddds exactlllyyyy fffffrrrooomm tthhee oorriiggggiinnaall tteexxttt...

BBBBegiin anddd enddd thhhe quoteddd wwwwwooorrrdddsss wwwiiittthhh iiinnnvvveeerrrttteeeddd cccooommmmmmaaasss.....

AAAAAlllways state whhere thhheee qqqqqqqqquuuoootttaaatttiiiooonnn cccooommmeeesss fffrrrooommm...

The Fitness report said: ’

Using inverted commas for speech

BBBBeffore wriitiing ttthe spokenwwwords, openiiiiinnnvvveeerrrttteeeddd cccooommmmmmaaasss....

BBBBegin the speechhhh wwwith a capital llllleeettttteer..

IIIIfff the speech is part oof a sentence, makerreaders pause by placingg aaa comma between thessspeech and the rest of ttttthhhee sseenntteennccee..

AAAAAt thhe endd off ttthe speech closettthe invertedcccccooommmmmmaaasss...

SSSSStart a newppparagraph for a new sssssppppeaker’s words.

FFFFFiiiniiishhh thhhe speechhh wiiithhh aaa question mark or eeexclamation mark if it’snneeded. Otherwise, use a full ssstop if the speech closes at ttthe end of the sentence or accccccoooommmmmmaaa iiifff iiittt dddoooeeesssnnn’ttt...

‘It doesn’t matter what age, size or shape you are, anyone will feel better if they start exercising regularly,’ Rodney Kentebe enthuses. Rodney is Gym Manager at Colets Health and Fitness Club in Thames Ditton.

‘Doctors may advise patients they need to take up some exercise if they need to lose weight, improve their level of fi tness or become more fl exible,’ his assistant agrees.


Try the skill

1 Read the following extract. As you read, decide:

a) which words Rodney actually spoke;

b) what punctuation changes should be made to show which words are speech.


Committing yourself to regular exercise will give you more than a better-toned body. Rodney believes: you may not feel like making the effort on a cold, grey

day – and often people have found it a struggle to get to the gym or the class – but by the time they leave they are buzzing, really set up for the day and feeling energised, and that’s great to see.

The endorphins that get released when you exercise are only part of the transformation. Rodney also thinks it is: Taking time out for you – and having a break from the pressures of everyday life. Getting on the exercise bike and listening to some music or swimming up and down just thinking about something else – it’s a good way to deal with stress.




2 How good are people in your class at taking regular exercise?

a) Work in pairs and take turns to interview each other about what exercise you do and why. Make sure you keep a note of the words your partner uses to answer your questions.

b) Write another two paragraphs for the magazine article summarising the interview. Include your partner’s comments as correctly punctuated speech. You may like to start the next part of the article like this:

A student at … was interviewed about the realities of exercising regularly …

3 The writer of the above article wanted to include the following sentences and the quotations that go with them. Rewrite each sentence in a way that includes the quotation in bold.

A Changes in lifestyle mean that even children no longer exercise as much as they once did.

Many children spend hours playing on computer games and watching television after school and at weekends rather than going outside.

Quote from Fitness Report, 2007

B Improving your level of fi tness doesn’t have to mean buying expensive equipment or joining a club.

Quote from Lifestyle website

C There are long-term dangers to being lazy so make sure you get fi t this year.

Studies have shown that being physically unfi t is just as dangerous as smoking in terms of lowering life expectancy.

Quote from NHS Direct website

Simply walking or cycling all or part of the way to school,college or work is a good way to start.



english level 2: section d1

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